- Accounting, auditing, and financial reporting
- Budgeting and financial planning
- Capital finance and debt administration
- Economic development and capital planning
- E-Government and technology
- Management and service delivery
- Pensions and benefits
- Treasury and investment management
Eight criteria are examined when considering an application for the award: local significance and value, technical significance, transferability, documentation, the cost/benefit analysis, efficiency, originality, and durability. Membership in the GFOA is not required to apply for an award; however, nonmembers and students must be sponsored by an active GFOA member. To request information about the Awards for Excellence program, send an e-mail to Awards for Excellence.
2009 Awards for Excellence Winners (News Release)
Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting
Financing Our Future - Authentic Community Engagement and Learning around Public School Finance
Toledo City Public Schools, Toledo, Ohio
This creative project uses materials from the district's CAFR and data on Ohio Public School Finance to explain financial and economic issues to voters and encourage brainstorming solutions for school finance reform. The materials cover authentic community engagement and learning, financial reporting and financial literacy, and understanding community feedback. The process also can be used to engage citizens in the budgeting/reporting process.
Contact: Daniel M. Romano, III, Treasurer/CFO, 420 E. Manhattan Blvd., Toledo, OH 43608 (419/729-8370; fax: 419/671-8474;
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Economic Development and Capital Planning
Civic Master Plan for the East Riverfront
City of Savannah, Georgia
This is an example of early involvement and leadership by the financial management team in an economic development project. The city's financial management played a critical role in the civic master planning process, identifying funding for a consultant, and working with private sector to implement the process. As a result of the public/private collaboration coordinated by the city's finance team, the city created a flexible zoning entitlement and helped establish a tax allocation district. The finance team was instrumental in securing state and federal funding for part of the city's commitment.
Contact: Christopher P. Morrill, Assistant City Manager - Management and Financial Services, City of Savannah, PO Box 1027, Savannah, GA 31402 (912/651-6420; fax: 912/650-9898;
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E-Government and Technology
Business Intelligence for Government Transparency: Where the Money Goes
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Where the Money Goes Web site offers transaction details for all state agencies and higher education institutions. An intuitive interface and search capability is available to anyone interested in efficient use of tax dollars and seeing how the state's money is being spent. As the data was being compiled, duplication in state contracts was discovered and merged, saving the state $4.8 million, and an additional $3.8 million in expected savings was identified.
Contact: Cindy Gray/Heather Hall, Project Management Office Manager/Project Manager, LBJ State Office Bldg., 111 E. 17th St., Austin, TX 78711 (512/463-6970 or 512/463-9248; fax: 512/475-0279;
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or
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Management and Service Delivery
Revitalized Purchasing Card Program Leads to Phenomenal Growth
Johnson County, Kansas
A multi-step plan to enhance the performance of the county’s purchasing card system increased the number of purchasing card transactions from 14 percent to 72 percent. By educating and training users, implementing new reconciliation software, and working with the vendor bank to develop best practices and maintain strong internal controls, security and accountability were improved. This greatly improved the efficiency of the labor-strapped department from having to deal with a great number of purchase orders and reimbursement checks for small amounts.
Contact: Kevin Hiskey, Deputy Finance Director, 111 S. Cherry St., Suite 2400, Olathe, KS 66061 (913/715-0530; fax: 913/715-0577;
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Pensions and Benefits
Master Trust and Investment Pool for OPEB and Pension Benefits
City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina
The City of Winston-Salem provides easy-to-follow documentation for its Master Trust and Custody arrangement. The concept allows the fiduciary trusts to be set up for multiple benefit programs (pension, separation, post-employment benefits), while still allowing for centralized investment management, cash flow management, and accounting for the benefit programs. A key advantage is that it consolidates reporting for multiple benefit plans while cutting the cost of custody and trust services - hard cash savings that are in addition to the actuarial contribution savings.
Contact: Denise C. Bell, Chief Financial Officer, PO Box 2511, Winston-Salem, NC 27102 (336/747.6900; fax: 336/727.2566;
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Pensions and Benefits
Shared Services for OPEB Actuarial Reporting
North Central Texas Council of Governments / City of Carrollton, Texas
The purpose of this project was to provide all local governments within Texas access to high-quality, low-cost actuarial valuations, without each government having to write its own request for proposal and go through a selection process. While the primary purpose of the actuarial services is complying with GASB Statements 43 and 45, it also represents an opportunity for governments to improve their retiree health practices, leading to expected savings. The shared services approach providing a uniform process and saving taxpayer money is particularly beneficial to small or rural governments.
Contacts: Monte Mercer, Deputy Executive Director, NCTCOG, 616 Six Flags Dr., PO Box 5888, Arlington, TX 76005 (817/695.9121; fax: 817/640.7806;
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) and Bob Scott, Chief Financial Officer, City of Carrollton, TX (972/466.3103;
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Honorary Mention
Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting
Report on Tax Increment Financing Districts and Special Service Districts
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Contact: Patricia Phillips, Director of Finance, Municipal Center Bldg #I, 2401 Courthouse Dr., Virginia Beach, VA 23456 (757/385-8241; fax: 757/385-4302;
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Budgeting and Financial Planning
Budget Outreach and Education
City of Santa Rosa, California
Contact: Michael Frank, Director, Administrative Services, 631 First St., Ste. B, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 (707/543-3091; fax: 707/543-3703;
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E-Government and Technology
Application of Geographic Information Systems in Tax Auditing
City of Westminster, Colorado
Contact: Tammy Hitchens, Finance Director, City of Westminster, 2800 W. 92nd Ave., Westminster, CO 80031 (303.658-2036; fax: 303.706-3923;
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E-Government and Technology
Dept. of Public Works’ Requisition Approval and Tracking System
City and County of San Francisco, California
Contact: Ed Reiskin, Director, San Francisco Department of Public Works, 1 Dr. Calton B. Goodlett Pl., City Hall, Rm. 348, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415/554-6920;
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E-Government and Technology
Enterprise Business Solution
City of Portland, Oregon
Contact: Jennifer Sims, CFO, City of Portland, 1120 S.W Fifth Ave., Rm. 1435, Portland, OR 97204 (503/823-6859;
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Pensions & Benefits
Funding for Other Post Employment Benefits
City of Charlotte, North Carolina
Contact: Greg Gaskins, 600 E. 4th St., 10th Fl., Charlotte, NC 28202 (704/336-5885; 704/336-6102;
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